Managing Information

Systems

Dr. Stephania Loizidou Himona

ACSC 345
 Information Systems
 Information Systems are becoming the
foundation of business models and
processes
 They allow for the distribution of knowledge

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 IT and IS
 What is Information Technology?
– Any form of technology used by people to
handle information.
 What are Information Systems?
– Integrated components processing, storing and
disseminating information in an organisation.
– Interdisciplinary study of systems that provide
information to users in organisations.
Pyle, I.C. & Illingworth, V. (Eds) (1996). Oxford Dictionary of Computing, 4 th Edition. Oxford / New York: Oxford
University Press
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 Information and Data
 Information
– Clusters of facts meaningful and useful to
human beings in processes such as making
decisions
 Data
– Streams of raw facts representing events such
as business transactions – meaningless without
structure

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 Experiences of IT and IS
 Examples of IT
– Hardware (PC, UNIX server)
– Software (e-mail, Internet, Windows, Word)
– Consumer devices (mobiles, train times)
 Examples of IS
– File systems, databases, e-mail servers / clients
– e-commerce
– SAP, student records

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 Management Information
Systems
 MIS
– The study of information systems focusing on
their use in business and management.
 Approaches
– Technical
– Behavioural
– Sociotechnical

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 Approaches to IS
TECHNICAL APPROACHES

COMPUTER
OPERATIONS
SCIENCE
RESEARCH

MANAGEMENT
SCIENCE
MIS
SOCIOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGY POLITICAL
SCIENCE
SOCIOTECHNICAL

BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES
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 Why is IS Important?
 For an organisation to survive and prosper
– More locations (networking, Internet)
– New products and services
– Improve jobs and work flows:
 Efficiency
 Cost
 Ethical and social issues

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 Why is IS Important?
 Worldwide changes:
– Global economy
– Knowledge- or information-based society
– Business enterprise
– Digital firm

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 Global Economy
 Growing percentage of economy relies upon
import and export
 Need to operate globally
 IS can provide global trading infrastructure

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 Information Economy
70%

60%
% SERVICE
50%
% WHITE COLLAR
40% % BLUE COLLAR
30% % FARMING

20%

10%

0%

YEAR

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 Changes to Society
 Change of employment profiles:
– Less farming
– Less ‘blue collar’ – manufacturing
– Increased service
– Increased ‘white collar’ – office-based
 USA: 55% of work force are in knowledge-
or information-based activities
 Shift of manufacture to low-wage countries

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 Business Enterprise
 Change from hierarchical organisations
 Now flat, decentralised
 Relies on instant information
 Flexibility with customer focus, with
increasing importance

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 Digital Firm
 An organisation where:
– Nearly all relationships with customers,
suppliers and employees is digital
– Business processes accomplished through
digital networks
 Flexible
 Dependent upon on IT

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 Course Objectives
 Provide an understanding of
– IS and underlying IT
– Impact on organisations of IS
– Implementation and management of IS
– IS and global organisations
 Provide awareness of IS in your role as a
professional

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 Course Content
 Information Systems in an Organisation
 Information Systems, Organisations,
Management and Strategy
 Enhancing Management Decision Making
 Managing Data and Information
 Redesigning the Organisation with
Information Systems and Managing Change

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 Course Content
 Electronic Commerce and the Internet
 Information Systems Security and Control
 Managing International Information Systems
 Managing Assets

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 Tutorials
 Three case studies over semester
– Information systems, organisations and decision
support
– Changing organisations
– International organisations and the Internet

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 Assessment
 One piece of individual course-work
– 40% of module
– Case study report
– Set in week 1
– Due beginning week 10-12
 Exam
– 60% of module

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 Text Book
 Haag, Cummings, McCubbrey (2004).
Management Information Systems for the
Information Age, 4th Edition. McGraw Hill.
 Turban, McLean, Wetherbe (1999).
Information Technology for Management, 2nd
Edition. John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
 Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P. (2002).
Management Information Systems: Managing
the Digital Firm, 7th Edition. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall
International, Inc.
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 Topics
Topic Lecture
Notes
Introduction 1
Information Systems in an Organisation 2
Information Systems, Organisations, Management & Strategy 3
Coursework
Enhancing Management Decision Making 4, 5
Information Systems Security and Control 6, 7
Electronic Commerce and the Internet 8
Case Study
Databases 9?
Exam

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 Case Study

Planning a New Internet Business